Andrew Pense

Who are you?

There are two types of people in the fitness world. The first type you might call gym goers, runners, joggers, fitness buffs, etc. There is nothing wrong with these people, in fact they are usually some of the nicest people that you might have the good fortune to meet. These people joined gyms or started running around block a few times a week for a number of reasons: Perhaps they wanted to lose some weight, or improve for a sport, or maybe their doctor told them they needed to be more active. We see these people in our gyms all the time, and they usually look fairly pleased to be there. These people are the 99% of population, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Outside of the gym, in civilian attire, you would likely not immediately recognize their fitness efforts. This is not a personal attack on these folks, just the nature of how we as humans look at one another. One sure sign that you are looking at one of these people is catching someone yawning during a workout, or texting while on the treadmill.

This is a great group of people, because they keep the fitness industry a float by paying gym memberships, buying Wiifit games so they can "get a little workout" at home, or helping Nike sell cool running shoes. Without them there would be no fitness industry. As great and important as these people are, I would dare say that if you are on this site and reading this then your are not one of them. So if these people are the mainstay of the fitness community, then who are you? You are one of the second type of people in the gym, that 1 to 2 percent that recognizes fitness not as a hobby but as a way of life. Your beliefs about nutrition and exercise and the way that you inject this discipline into other facets of your life is what constitutes this difference.

How do we spot these people? Some indicators are easy, like the guy holding up three different containers at the local GNC comparing macros. Its the office executive who would sooner come in to work without their briefcase than forego thier ziplocked containers of carefully prepared and weighed food for the day. It's the guy who sits in the corner for about ten minutes before his workout, hoodie sweatshirt covering his brow as he broods over the upcoming battle. For him the next 90 minutes is the most important thing in the world, and his expression shows it.

Some indicators are harder to see, but the old adage "it takes one to know one" rings true. Two gym members who just shared 200 cubic feet of concrete filled with steel, iron, blood sweat and tears for two hours have a certain level of unspoken comradery usually only witnessed among enlisted soldiers who have gone to war together. Lifting weights is certainly a trivial thing when compared to war, but we all know (if we are in this 1 to 2 percent group) that in certain moments during our fitness lives they are akin. For that hour or two a day, this is the most serious thing in the world.

If you are one of this tiny segment of the workout community, congratulations. Whether you have ever framed it like this to yourself before or not, realize that you have become one of the most sought after things in our culture: An elite athlete. No, I doubt any Ivy League schools will come knocking down your door offering you a scholarship, or will Nike will want you to start pitching their new cross training shoe. That doesn't take away from the fact that what you are doing is unique, extraordinary, and will always have a profoundly positive influence on your life and likely the lives that you surround yourself with.